Hoisting apparatus



April 11, 1967 A. G. VANDERBECK 3,313,525

HOI STING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 2 l, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l b INVENTOD ALFRED GVANDERBECK April 1967 A. cs. VANDERBECK 3,313,525

HOI STING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 21, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOD ALFQED 6.\/ANDEQBECK ATTQQNEY United States Patent 3,313,525 HOiSTlNG APPARATUS Alfred G. lander-beck, 1845 Fox Hill Lane, Paoli, Pa. 19301 Filed Feb. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 528,968 1 Claim. (Cl. 254-1753) This invention concerns a hoist device of the type which is movable along overhead rail structure for transporting articles from one location to another. In particular, the invention is directed to an arrangement for reeling and unreelin-g a cable strand which is utilized in raising and lowering a hoisting block to efiect the transporting operation.

According to the invention two cable drums are rotatably mounted in tandem fashion to support the cable and are movable as a unit along the overhead structure. One of the drums functions to store the cable while the other drum functions as a lifting drum to lower or raise the hoisting block which carries articles which are to be lifted and transported. The lifting drum is driven at desired rpm. and the storage drum is driven through suitable connections by the operation of the lifting drum. It is consequently necessary to maintain the section or portion of the cable located between the drums at proper or desired tension in order to effect the proper lowering and raising of the hoist lifting block. During the lifting operation, the cable strands build up on the storage drum and at some point of the lifting operation, the storage drum may override the operation of the lifting drum and result in improper operation and possible damage to the equipment.

In order to take care of this problem, provision is made to limit the pulling force of the storage drum during a cable reeling operation. This may conveniently take a commercial form of slip clutch for the storage drum to provide overload protection or constant torque which controls the tension on the cable between the drums and provides the proper degree of friction on the lifting drutrn. As the cable is payed out from the storage drum proper tension between the drums is attained by the provision of a unidirectional coupling for one or the other of the drums whereby the driving connections between the drums is made ineffective.

The broad object of the invention is to provide a cable mounting for a hoisting device which utilizes a cable storage drum in a manner to permit substantial lengths of cable to be stored and to provide greater flexibility in the heights that loads may be lifted.

Another object is to provide an arrangement of cooperating cable lifting and storage drums which permit the efiicient handling of loads with relatively light equipment.

Another object is to provide such an arrangement of cable mounting drums which requires a minimum of space and is readily installed on existing equipment with a minimum of modification.

Other obiects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed explanation of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a frame or housing showing an arrangement for mounting the cooperating cable drums, and further showing diagrammatically equipment for operating the hoisting device.

FIGURE 2 is a view in elevation taken generally on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a somewhat enlarged view showing certain detailed structure of FEGURE 1.

The frame or housing is indicated at and has secured thereto a unit 12 formed of a motor and gear box forming an assembly which is supported on and movable 3,313,525 Patented Apr. 11, 1967 along overhead rail structure. The frame or housing is shown as having opposed side walls 14-14 and end braces 16-16. The unit 12 may, as shown, be assembled therewith, for example, by connectors 18-18. A first transverse shaft 20 has one end extending into the gear box to be connected to and driven by gearing therein at the desired r.p.rn. Bearing boxes 22-22 are provided and, as shown, are secured to the respective side walls 14-14 to rot-atably receive the shaft 20 therebetween. A second transverse shaft 24 is spaced from shaft 20 and is similarly mounted in bearing boxes 26-26 which are secured to the respective side walls 14-14 as shown.

In order to simultaneously rotate the shafts 2i) and 24, suitable driving connections are provided therebetween. As shown these may take the form of a sprocket 2S having a hub 3t) secured to shaft 20, a sprocket 32 having a hub 34 secured to shaft 24 and a chain 36 which is maintained in mesh with the sprockets. The hoisting or lifting drum is indicated at 38 and is fixedly mounted on the shaft 20 for rotation therewith while the storage drum is indicated at 40 and is fixedly mounted on shaft 24 and is driven through the driving connections in accordance with the rotation of shaft 2i). Since the lifting drum 38 is subject to greater forces than the storage drum 40, the shaft 20 will, as shown, he of substantially greater diameter than the shaft 24.

The hoisting cable is indicated at 42 and a number of plies are shown stored on the drum 40 to represent available cable which adapts the hoist for use in lifting loads to various heights, for example, as upwardly of to feet or more. The cable extends over the lifting or hoisting drum 38 and about the sheave 44 of the hoisting block 46 and then may extend about various idler pulleys if desired or be secured, for example, as shown at 48 to the side wall 14 for the purpose of raising or lowering the sheave 44 and hoisting block 46 as desired. At 50 is indicated a slip clutch device for maintaining desired tension on cable 42 and the details will be described in connection with FIGURE 3.

In FIGURE 3 the slip clutch 59 of FIGURE 1 may take a variety of commercial forms but the disclosed embodiment has been chosen for the purpose of explanation because of its simplicity. This consists of a ring plate 52 which is secured to the exterior of housing wall 14 by connectors 54, a pressure plate 56 which is rotatable with shaft 24 and a friction unit 58. The shaft 24 extends through the bearing box 26 and housing wall 14 to receive these structures which are secured in position on the shaft 24 as shown by a locking nut 60. The pressure plate assembly is provided with springs 62, as shown, which are set to permit rotation of shaft 24 until predetermined force is applied on shaft 24.

The hub 34 of sprocket 32, as shown in FIGURE 2, is formed of an element 64 by having a series of cam surfaces 66 which provide spaces to receive followers 68. The element 64 is secured to shaft 24 and the followers 68 permit rotation of the shaft 24 by the sprocket 32 as the cable 4 is being reeled onto storage drum 40 but prevents rotation of the shaft in the reverse direction through the sprocket 32.

In FIGURE 2 similar transverse L-shaped braces 70-79 are secured between the side walls 14-14 of the housing 10. The braces support wheels 72-72 on shafts 74-74, as shown, which are received by an overhead rail 76 for moving the housing 10 therealong as desired.

Cable guide means, not shown, may suitably be located on the housing 10 for the purpose of attaining uniform movement of the cable to or from the drum 38 and also, if desired, other means may be provided to reciprocate the storage drum 46 along shaft 24 in order to provide 3 uniform movement of the cable onto or from the drum 40.

The invention may take other forms than that disclosed and described and is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In combination, a drum assembly for a hoisting cable and control apparatus therefor which comprises,

(a) a frame mounted on an overhead support and having opposed side walls,

(b) a first transverse shaft and first drum assembly mounted for rotation between said side walls,

(0) a second transverse shaft and second drum assembly mounted for rotation between said side walls,

(d) said shaft and drum assemblies being disposed in spaced tandem relation,

(e) a continuous hoisting cable supporting a hoisting pulley block for vertical movement relative to the frame and having a first winding about the first drum and a second winding interconnected therewith about the second drum,

(f) means supported by said frame and operatively connected to said first shaft to elfect its rotation selectively in one direction or in the opposite direction,

(g) driving connections between said first and said second shafts which are operative to rotate the second shaft simultaneously with and in accordance with the direction of rotation of the first shaft,

(h) said first and second shafts being operative during their rotation in said one direction to unwind said second winding and permit lowering of said hoisting pulley block and operative in said other direction to rewind said second winding and raise the hoisting pulley block,

(i) a unidirectional clutch device on one of said shafts for releasing the driving connections during the rotation of the first and second shafts in said one direction to permit the second winding to unwind in accordance with the rotation of the first shaft,

(j) a slip clutch assembly comprising a friction disk unit mounted on said second shaft adjacent one side wall and a fixed plate mounted on said side Wall in engagement with the friction disk unit and (k) said slip clutch ibeing operative to permit rotation of the second shaft in said other direction until a predetermined force is applied thereto in order to limit tension on the cable as it is rewound.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,496,754 2/1950 Schrarnm 254l68 3,005,621 10/1961 Johnson 254175.7 3,162,425 12/1964 Babacz 254l75.7

FOREIGN PATENTS 762,081 12/1932 France.

EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

HUGO O. SCHULZ, Examiner.

H. C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner. 

